Many different types of plant tissues are used in a research laboratory setting. In one example, plant tissue is grown outside of an intact plant as plant tissue cultures. This plant tissue is grown, maintained or otherwise cultured in an aseptic environment having a nutrient medium supporting the plant tissue. The plant tissue is often referred to in the art as plant tissue explants. One example of a plant tissue explant would be canola hypocotyl segments cut from germinated seeds.
The claimed methods and apparatus are particularly useful for manipulating plant tissue explants in preparation for recombinant DNA procedures and for handling explants and callus resulting from recombinant DNA techniques. These techniques are used to introduce novel transgenic events into plant cells to produce fertile plants bearing useful phenotypes such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance.
Typically these plant tissue explants are matured in containers having solid or semi-solid nutrient medium and observed by trained professionals to determine the usefulness of a given plant tissue explant. By way of example, a plant tissue explant may be observed or assayed to identify those plant tissue explants that have advantageous characteristics or traits introduced by recombinant DNA technology.
Often several plant tissue explants are arranged in a container of solid or semi-solid nutrient substrate supporting the tissue explants. The substrate provides nutrients for the cells within the tissue and is generally comprised of a mixture of inorganic salts, vitamins, a carbon source such as sucrose, and plant growth regulators or hormones. The plant tissue explants change over time and are observed periodically by a trained professional. Several times during the observation period, the tissue explants must be transferred to a different substrate in order to assure adequate nutrient provision to the tissue explants.
In one example, maize embryos are stored in containers in a room having a temperature of about 28° C., about 30% humidity, and generally dark for about a one month period of time. During that one month period of time, the maize tissue pieces must be transferred to different containers with a different substrate to provide adequate nutrients to the tissue pieces. In an example, the maize tissue pieces are transferred once a week. In one example, about 50 individual maize tissue explants are provided in each of 100 containers.
In another example, canola tissue pieces are stored in containers in a room having a temperature of about 22-23° C. and generally dark for about 8 hours a day and light for 16 hours a day over about five to six weeks. During that five to six week period of time, the canola tissue pieces must be transferred to different containers with a different substrate to provide adequate nutrients to the tissue pieces. In an example, the canola tissue pieces are transferred every week or two weeks. In one example, about 20 to about 50 individual canola tissue pieces are provided in each of 40 containers. In one example, about 3 to about 5 mm canola segments are cut from germinated seeds and placed into containers each having the nutrient medium. In one experiment from about 1000 to about 2000 canola segments are provided (about 20 to about 100 containers) are provided. These 1000 to 2000 segments need to be transferred every week or two. Generally up until the fifth transfer, all of the 1000 to 2000 segments are to be transferred.
In a further example, cotton tissue explants are stored in containers in a room having a temperature of about 28° C. and generally dark for about 8 hours a day and in indirect lighting for 16 hours a day over about three months. During that three month period of time, the cotton tissue explants must be transferred to different containers with a different substrate to provide adequate nutrients to the tissue explants. In an example, the cotton tissue explants are transferred every four weeks. In one example, about 5 individual cotton tissue explants are provided in each of 300 containers.
Traditionally, plant tissue explants of a given crop have been transferred manually by a trained professional from a first container to a second container with forceps in an aseptic environment. The trained professional would place an individual tissue piece between the tongs of the forceps, squeeze the tongs together, pick up the individual tissue explant, and release the pressure on the tongs of the forceps when the tissue piece is located correctly relative to the second container. A professional may transfer up to about 3,000 tissue explants this way during a given eight hour work day. This process results in fatigue for the trained professional over time and potentially an increase in the risk of injury to the trained professional.
In addition, the transfer of tissue explants from the first container to the second container is performed in an aseptic environment. Traditionally, the transfer is performed in a laminar flow hood, such as the EDGEGUARD® brand laminar flow hood available from The Baker Company located in Sandford, Me. In addition, the forceps used for transferring the tissue explants must be sterilized between container transfers of a given set of tissue explants. This prevents cross contamination from one container transfer run (a first set of tissue explants from a first container to a second container) and a subsequent container transfer run (a second set of tissue explants from a third container to a fourth container). One method used to sterilize the forceps is to submerge the tip of the forceps in EtOH and pass the tongs of the forceps through an open flame. This creates a risk that the ethanol might ignite resulting in a contamination of the environment. Further, the hood in which the transfer was being performed may need to be serviced, such as the replacement of the HEPA filters in the hood. This takes the transfer station out of operation for a period of time.